Chula Vista district notifying teachers of layoffs

159 cuts are made; over 240 rescinded

The Chula Vista Elementary School District formally began notifying 159 teachers this week that their jobs have been eliminated.

More than 400 teachers received tentative layoff notices March 15, the annual deadline for school districts to send tentative pink slips to teachers and other school staff. On Tuesday, the school board agreed to reduce that number to 159.

“We rescinded the notices for everyone but 159 teachers,” said district spokesman Anthony Millican. “Those 159 are getting their final notices. What happens now is if there’s a positive change, we rehire them. That’s our hope. What organization wants to let go of highly trained professionals? We certainly don’t want to see them go.”

Dozens of protesters attended Tuesday’s board meeting hoping to convince district officials to save their jobs. Wolf Canyon Elementary teacher Zach Riggs was among those who left disappointed.

“I understand where they’re coming from but it’s still hard on a family like ours,” Riggs said Wednesday, the day he was notified he lost his job. “We just had a baby, and we bought a house a year ago. I’d just like them to take a look again at what their budget is and find any other way other than cutting staff.”

Millican said the district was hoping to rescind all notices but without a final state budget, it was forced to make the cuts.

The district is looking at paring up to $15 million from its $224 million budget. Most school funding comes from the state, which has been cutting back on education funding.

Millican said this is the first time in years that all tentative layoff notices had not been rescinded. A total of 218 full-time jobs, including 10 associate principals and 10 psychologists, were included on the list of reductions Tuesday. He said those cuts will be among many in the system.

Riggs said that if he doesn’t get his job back he and his wife will think about moving out of California.

“I think we’re going to hold out through the summer and see if the state can figure out how to get some money into education and hopefully go back to work,” Riggs said. “But with 12 percent unemployment, it’s going to be tough to look for job.”